Page 51 of Venomous Lust
Hazel turned in his arms, facing him. Her eyes were glistening, but there was no more sadness in her face. He kissed her, the touch light and tender. He kissed her like the treasure she was.
“I need you,” Hazel broke the kiss to whisper against his face. Her eyes were closed and her forehead rested on his own. “I never needed anyone in my life after Sally. But you, I need you, Khal.”
She spoke like it was a confession, her hands on his face, her breathing fast and shallow. As Khal’s hands traveled to her waist, he pulled her against him, molding her to his body, forcing her to straddle him, there on the bare floor.
“You’re my salvation,” she added.
Something broke inside him at her words. Because no matter how hard he had worked, how far he had gone in his training, in his duties, he had never been the hero. He always stood in another warrior’s shadow. First his father, chief of the tribe, then his brothers and their spectacular accomplishments, their great victories, celebrated across the Ring. He’d never begrudged them their success, the fame and honor they had gained, but he had never measured up. Khal had always been the faithful son, the loyal brother. But never had he been the one who counted above all others.
Except to Hazel. Hazel wasn’t just his life now. She was the center of the universe, the fabric of life itself.
* * *
Hazel
Two days later, Hazel made her way to the medical room, intent on visiting Celaith. The Arvak female was good company, if a bit abrasive when it came to talking about Zaxis.
Those two should be closing the deal, Hazel thought. It would be easier for everyone.
As she got nearer, she could hear voices behind the closed metal door, low and cutting. Hazel sighed. They were having another argument.
“I don’t need you to fuss around me like some ancient female matriarch,” Celaith snarled in her singsong, musical voice. “My arm is healing just fine.”
“It’s not your arm I’m worried about,” Zaxis retorted, clearly at the end of his patience. “With all the injuries you’ve sustained, one would think you’d learn to be more grateful.”
“Grateful? Oh, of course, your highness. What would I expect from a Duke’s son if not this total sense of entitlement?” A sharp cry followed, then a string of curses that would put any hardened old pirate to shame. “That’s cold!”
Hazel laughed out loud and stepped in.
“Good, you’re here,” Zaxis growled, muttering under his breath in a completely uncharacteristic display of temper. “Scan her if you can, or drown her in the bath. I don’t care. She’s too infuriating for this early in the morning.”
Zaxis pushed the scanning wand into Hazel’s hands and stormed off, his eyes flashing bright purple, his pupils slashed as thin as his temper.
“You have a way with him.” Hazel turned to Celaith with a bright smile. “You know just how to brighten his day.”
“Brightening his day is the last thing on my mind,” the Arvak female growled, her skin flashing in tones of magenta, a color Hazel had since come to recognize as betraying emotions Celaith would rather keep secret. “He thinks I’m weak. I’m a bounty hunter from the Mother. I’ll show him just how weak I am.” She shook her head, her small mouth pressed into an angry line. She sat up straighter in the bed and carefully swung her legs to the side. Pain etched across her features, but Hazel didn’t try to stop her. She understood Celaith more than Zaxis or Khal ever would.
“Need help, or are you going to kick me?” Hazel asked, lifting her eyebrow as Celaith tried to put weight on her legs but blanched under the strain.
“I’ll kick you, all right,” Celaith retorted, but her face lit up and her lips spread in a grin. “Then it’s going to be you in this bed, and that Eok won’t be nearly as fun as Zaxis to bully around.”
“You’re right about that. Khal would chain me to the post to make sure I recover.”
Hazel laughed as she passed an arm under Celaith’s elbow, helping her take her first steps. Celaith accepted Hazel’s help despite her warning, and together they walked slowly around the room. It had become a habit over the last two days. Hazel filled her empty time with Celaith, helping the Arvak recover from her ordeal. They had become close, as close as Hazel had ever been to having a friend.
And she suspected Celaith felt the same way.
A few minutes later, Celaith’s face was becoming pale and her features drawn.
“I think we’re done for now,” Hazel stated firmly. Celaith’s dark pink eyes reduced to slits, but she nodded grudgingly. “Don’t think you’d let Zaxis lead you back to bed,” Hazel added, knowing very well that would elicit a strong reaction from her new friend.
Celaith’s eyes flashed, but she chuckled. “Don’t try to rile me up.” Celaith sighed as she sat back down on the bed. “I’m too tired to argue with you.”
“You’d argue until you dropped dead.”
Hazel pulled the covers back over Celaith’s legs. All traces of humor were gone from her mood. “What was it like, growing up aboard the Mother?”
Celaith’s good hand flattened on the cover and she looked up sharply at Hazel. “I saw many worlds, did many things.” Her voice was a whisper, and her eyes took on a vague expression. “Most of all, Roohl taught me that the only value I had lay in how much bounty I could collect.”
